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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I am using Mandrake 10.0, kernel 2.6.3-19mdkcustom. Just compiled my first kernel today. I have been trying to get usb video capture working for over a month. I tried dazzle fusion, dvd express and now am trying to get wintv-pvr-usb2 working. I cannot find drivers for any of these and have a more basic problem===There is no /dev/video0 in my system and I do not know how to add one. I have a /dev/video in the /dev dir but cannot add /video0. Is the /video0 device added when a module is loaded or when a driver is compiled. I tried to compile the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-usb2 driver by Björn Danielsson but it failed.

This is xawtv-3.93, running on Linux/i686 (2.6.3-19mdkcustom)
can't open /dev/v4l/video0: No such file or directory
v4l-conf had some trouble, trying to continue anyway
v4l2: open /dev/v4l/video0: No such file or directory
v4l2: open /dev/v4l/video0: No such file or directory
v4l: open /dev/v4l/video0: No such file or directory
no video grabber device available

[dan@localhost dan]$ xawtv -c /dev/video
This is xawtv-3.93, running on Linux/i686 (2.6.3-19mdkcustom)
can't open /dev/video: No such device
v4l-conf had some trouble, trying to continue anyway
v4l2: open /dev/video: No such device
v4l2: open /dev/video: No such device
v4l: open /dev/video: No such device
no video grabber device available

Thanks. I have downloaded this driver and tried to compile it but ran into problems. That will be the subject of another post I suppose. I am just curious as to how the video0 device is generated and don't know where to ask. I have spent numerous hours reading and googling and still am not there.

If you're talking about the /dev/video* files, I don't recall where they were created - I'm fairly sure I had to create them manually at some point. You still need a device driver to get anywhere though, what problems did you have with the device driver?

I then recompiled the kerner and I think I enabled loadable modules. I used "make menuconfig' and I suppose I selected the correct menu items. When I reran 'make' on the driver I got the same errors. I have sent an email to the driver developer (Aurelien Alleaume) last night and am waiting for advice.

Looks like you may have had a problem building your kernel, I've written a document about building
your own kernel which can be read at http://www.minnesund.net/linux/kernel_build.txt
Once you're confident in building a new kernel then we can look at building the modules for this tv capture card.

Thanks for the input. I followed the readme file in the kernel source, after downloading the mandrake source. The mandrake control console does all the urpmi functions and untars the source to a /usr/src/ver_no dir. I did not know how to get it to a "home' dir so I did a make menuconfig, selected options, make, make modules, make modules_install, make install then also make bzimage, and make bzdisk for a bootable floppy. All completed without error and it booted from floppy and hd. I had to go to the mcc to point the previous kernel to config.old, but now both versions of the kernel boot. Oh yes, I did a make mrproper on the /usr/src/ver_no dir prior to starting. and did a make clean afterwards. Yes I do have a .config file. I think the driver developers compile (makefile?) or something maybe even his c code has a problem.

If I don't get this going soon I will probably just put it on hold until spring, what with Christmas, New Year and all coming up. and come Jan I am heading for the Gulf Coast and warm weather since I'm retired and can run from the cold.